A Diet for the Planet
But change doesn’t come easy. Like any diet, it’s wise to start from where we are and to feel our way into sustainable changes. Bill and I keep making little changes to our own lifestyle to try to reduce, recycle and reuse. We do some things well and have a long ways to go on others. Here is my year end reflection on where I currently am and what I can do better in the coming year. I hope it triggers your own reflection and resolutions. We buy mostly local, seasonal food: we get a farm box (CSA -community supported agriculture) and frequent the farmers market. I love that our local stores carry and label a good selection of locally grown foods. We take canvas bags to the grocery store, and have dramatically decreased our use of plastic veggie bags through recycling, use of homemade muslin bags and not putting every vegetable in a bag. I could do better at taking my own bags to other types of stores. We also use many bulk products, from oatmeal and peanut butter to shampoo and dish soap. This means we can reuse the containers. But I’m horrible about paper. I still print things out to read them and like to store information as hard copy. I’m resistant about becoming paper-free, so I need to choose one thing to start with. I could put my paper supply on a diet - tracking and decreasing my usage. We eat grass fed beef once or twice a month. Finding good local sources has made me feel better about enjoying hamburgers in summer – it has really been a treat. We buy wild fish and local organic chicken – but I don’t really know as much about how the chickens are raised as I’d like to. Chickens can be organic and “free range” and still be confined and overcrowded. My inclination is to eat less of any kind of animal protein – we’re eating a lot of beans these days. Animals produce a lot of waste – both physically in the form of manure, and as gasses, that when massed in factory farms overwhelm the earth’s capacity to absorb it. Cows make a significant contribution to greenhouse gasses, and research links red and processed meats to colon cancer: any way you look at it, less is better. We use toilet paper, paper towels and printer paper made from recycled paper; and reusable cloth napkins and cleaning rags. We’ve switched all the lights to fluorescent. We still have two cars, although I work from home and cluster my errands when I need to drive into town. Two years ago I fixed up my bike so I could ride into town instead of driving, but I lapsed last year. That would be a good goal for this year: to ride in at least 2-3 times a week. The extra exercise would be good. My worst waste-forming habit is overconsumption. I have too much of everything. I could easily cut all I own in half and still have plenty. This is the habit I’d most like to tackle and yet the one that feels the hardest. I think the answer is to slow down. I move too fast, take on too much, and all too easily get lost in the whirlwind of activity. When I’m off balance like that, I’m much more impulsive about buying things I don’t really need. Of all the suggestions, slowing down – and getting adequate rest and breaks – is the least obvious but may ultimately be one of the most important points for any diet. When I slow down, I need less, and I feel happier. Slowing down makes it easier to make conscious choices. This makes for a healthier diet for us and Mother Earth! Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!
Kathy Nichols is the Healthy Habits Coach. Kathy blends her background as a registered dietitian with life coaching to help you create healthy and sustainable habits. Contact Kathy at 707 431-7524, Kathy@HealthyHabitsCoach.com or www.HealthyHabitsCoach.com. Blog: www.HealthyHabitsCoach.wordpress.com |
